


A Change in Fate

by BlackKittens



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: kind of an info dump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 15:51:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17625287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackKittens/pseuds/BlackKittens
Summary: Betha Blackwood steps in on her granddaughter Rhaella's behalf, and marries her to Rickard Stark instead of Aerys. Rhaella's life changes.





	A Change in Fate

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a couple hundred words of fanfic to break my writer's block (why am I always getting blocked like this? Smh). Instead, uh, this info dump happened. I hope it's enjoyable.

The North was cold, even in the summer despite the lack of snow on the ground. Rhaella found herself covered in furs here in Winterfell, when down south, she would have likely been wearing a thin, sleeveless dress right now. But down south, she would have also been Aerys' bride. Rhaella preferred the use of furs in the summer to having been her abusive brother's wife.

She had been shocked and mortified by her father's decision to marry them after Aunt Jenny's witch friend spouted an insane prophecy at court. Supposedly a descendent of their shared line would bring about "the prince that was promised," whatever that meant. Father, in his excitement to be the ancestor of such a prince, had immediately spoken of betrothing his children. Mother supported his decision wholeheartedly. Neither had cared for the opinions of their children, nor their living siblings and in-laws, nor their own parents.

Rhaella remembered crying for days after the witch's appearance in court. She had only been thirteen at the time, Aerys fourteen. Grandfather Aegon, then still alive and on the iron throne, was (seemingly) the only one who had the power to overrule their parents. Unfortunately, Grandfather was already long exasperated with Jaehaerys and Shaera's stubborn, rebellious ways that despite his disapproval, he would let them have their way. Rhaella remembered crying harder at that news.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Grandmother Betha stepped in. She was still the queen, not Shaera, she had stormed, and Aegon had never held any true power in controlling her as his wife, so she - as Rhaella recalled her putting it - was "finally putting an end to this nonsense!" She railed on and on that enough was enough, that they had allowed nearly all of their children to have their way in terms of marriage, nearly destroying the realm in the process, and at the very least, they should have annulled Jaehaerys and Shaera's marriage all those years ago. Now was the time to make amends for her and Aegon's mistakes.

Even Aerys had been stunned to silence by her outburst. Aerys was brute, and a maddening brute these days, if the rumors were true, but he had never wanted to marry Rhaella in the first place. And even if he had, he certainly would not have spoken against Grandmother Betha; she had been the only person in the entire realm he feared the wrath of.

Mother and Father tried their hardest to fight her. They screamed, they threatened, they defended their own marriage as the Targaryen way in the first place, but nothing helped. As Grandmother Betha had said, she was still the queen, and Grandfather Aegon would do nothing to stop her either. In reality, it was her decision, not anyone else's. If Mother and Father had a problem with it, Rhaella remembered gasping at, then they were free to challenge the kingsguard and become kin- and kingslayers in order to take away Grandmother Betha's power. Of course, they didn't, and that statement brought an end to all discussion.

Rhaella and Aerys were quickly matched with others in the realm, others whose hands Grandmother Betha found much more advanteous and pleasing. Aerys was betrothed to Joanna Lannister and Rhaella to Rickard Stark. Joanna had yet to bleed, so her wedding to Aerys would be put off for the time being. Rhaella, however, already had her monthly cycles, so she could be sent to the North for her wedding right away. Today, Rhaella suspected this had been done in part so Mother and Father couldn't thwart her plans somehow in the future.

Nevertheless, Mother and Father had been aghast at the prospect of sending her to the North. How could a dragon possibly survive in such icy temperatures, they begged.

Grandfather Aegon simply stroked his beard and mentioned that rumor had it a dragon lived beneath Winterfell and was the source of the hotsprings beneath the castle. Grandmother Betha snorted, however, informing them that Rhaella was human, and if that were not true, they were free to show her Rhaella's scales and claws whenever they wished.

Grandmother was set on the match, no matter what Mother and Father complained of. Her older sister, Melantha, was Rickard's grandmother, and had spoken with her via raven many times of the conditions and workings of the North. She also told her - which Grandmother Betha quietly passed onto Rhaella after she expressed fears of marrying another Aerys - the Starks were good, honorable men, if sometimes distant and cold. There was nothing to fear from them.

Joanna was brought from Casterly Rock to court to be raised with Aerys until they could be wed. Rhaella didn't get a chance to meet her before being carried off to Winterfell. To this day, she had never met her goodsister.

The North had been terrifying at first. It was new, it was strange, and she was only thirteen years old, likely to never see many of her friends and loved ones again. While she tutted in disapproval, Grandmother Betha allowed her tears to shed on the last days to Winterfell.

Grandmother had been right about the Starks, though. Edwyle, her goodfather, and Rickard, her betrothed, were kind men, if sometimes silent and frosty. Lady Marna and Dowager Lady Melantha helped her adjust in Rhaella first weeks in the castle.

The wedding was an odd experience, yet not too terribly different from the one Rhaella had always expected hers to be. The North worshipped the old gods, and since she was joining them rather than Rickard joining the Targaryens, they were wed in the Godswood. Rhaella wasn't particularly religious, so it hadn't bothered her too greatly to have nothing representing The Seven there. Odd was the only term she would use to describe it.

Grandmother Betha left shortly after the wedding, ordering her to be good and strong for the Starks. She would receive ravens on her progress, and Rhaella could write home any time. It was the last time she saw her grandmother alive.

Rickard grew on her as the first year of their marriage went by. He was fifteen, less than a year older than Aerys, and let her do as she pleased when he wasn't attempting to make awkward conversation on how well she was adjusting to the North. He didn't pinch, bruise, slap, or threaten to set her hair on fire like Aerys often had in their childhood. He did not force her in their chambers as she feared he might.  He asked about her health, well-being, and time in the south.

Lady Melantha and Lady Marna became dear companions as they prepped her to one day take over Winterfell as the Lady of the North, and were great help when she found herself pregnant three months into the marriage. When tragedy struck in Summerhall in 259 AC, killing a portion of her family, the news sent Rhaella into labor a month earlier than expected. They were her rocks as she took care of Torrhen, whose life was much more fragile than that of a full term newborn. Torrhen survived, though, thank the gods, and Edwyle and Rickard were pleased with their new heir.

Word soon came that Aerys had finally married Joanna.

Mother and Father rarely wrote her letters. Most were intended for Edwyle Stark as the lord and warden of the North. The last letter she recieved from Father was detailing Grandmother Betha's death in 261 AC, and the last from Mother was detailing Father's death, months after which she caught ill and died.

In the first year of Aerys' reign, Joanna gave birth to a daughter named Daena. Rhaella was startled when he sent a proposal that Torrhen and Daena be betrothed. Was he taking stock in that old, awful prophecy? Edwyle and Rickard's response asking for terms was never replied to, however, so Rhaella assumed he must have changed his mind.

In 264, Rhaella gave birth to a healthy daughter named Rhaenys. Like Torrhen, she resembled her father's side instead of her.

Both of her children grew up playful and kind. Torrhen grew into the same somberness his family was infamous for, while Rhaenys gain the reputation of being a wild wolf-dragon. They both trained to wield a sword and shoot arrows, though Rhaenys in secret and with her brother teaching her.

Rhaella became pregnant one more time in 269, giving birth to a violet eyed and brown haired girl named Alys. Alys would grow to be more like her, meek and timid, clinging to her skirts in her youth and spending her time reading and learning music as she grew in the 270s.

Joanna, meanwhile, had a son in 265 named Maegor, followed by a slew of miscarriages and stillborns. The reports of Aerys' growing cruelty and madness came and went. In 270, their daughter Daena died of illness. Rumor had it that she was accused of affairs and bastard children, and that's why nearly all of their children were dying, so septas were to sleep with her in bed from now on. Maegor was also put under extra protection, even when alone with his mother.

Rhaella pitied and feared for her goodsister. It did not sound like Aerys was treating her well. (She was suddenly grateful for her marriage to Rickard now, and thanked Grandmother Betha's spirit).

The rumors didn't stop there, however. Aerys' treatment of Joanna's cousin and his Hand, Tywin, was reportedly getting worse and worse with every year.  Rhaella knew what had happened to the last houses that insulted Tywin. She feared what he could do with allies against the king if angered enough, if the realm were angered enough. The rumors that he was in love with his cousin, the queen, did not help her fears.

Things only grew worse in the south as the next decade went on. Rhaella began to dread news and ravens carrying personal letters from the south. Her only solace was that the North was doing well and her children were growing up healthy. Even after Lady Melantha and Lady Marna were taken by age and illness respectively, and Edwyle passed from a wound infection in 274. Apparently, even Prince Maegor was now being targeted by his father's distrust.

The 281 tourney was no help. Rhaella stayed home with Alys while her eldest two accompanied their father to the tournament. Her brother, Aerys...the news was not well. He was skin and bones, hair uncut and tangled, nails long and yellow, and mood swinging from joy to anger without notice. Prince Maegor also displayed disturbing interest in Rhaenys, to her disgust, and spoke of the old prophecy Aunt Jenny's witch had made. Rhaella silenced all talk of prophecy.

Rickard had always had southern ambitions, but Rhaella had stopped him from fostering their son elsewhere like he had wanted. Now, especially with Maegor's interest in Rhaenys and an insane prophecy, he wanted to betroth Rhaenys quickly, and perhaps Alys soon enough. Rhaella reluctantly agreed, so long as their husbands were kind as well as advanteous.

His first choice for Rhaenys was Robert Baratheon, lord of the Stormlands. His parents had perished on a mission for the king in 278, leaving him the new lord at a young age. He was only two years older than Rhaenys. On top of that, he was the grandson of Rhaella's aunt Rhaelle. Rhaella knew next to nothing of her first cousin once removed, except that he was an exceptional knight. She gave Rickard permission to let Rhaenys meet him - but only with the condition that if he could not treat her right, they would find another husband for her.

In 282, they left. Rhaella received one letter from her daughter after their arrival to Storm's End, filled with her disgust towards Robert's womanizing and drunken ways. In the following letter from her husband, Rhaella expected his opinion of Robert's character. Instead, she was told Rhaenys had been kidnapped by Prince Maegor.

Rhaella was devastated. Her daughter, her first daughter, taken by Aerys' son, who believed in the prophecy of his grandfather. She wept all night, praying that Rhaenys would come back to her unscathed.

Rickard immediately went to Aerys, to Rhaella's horror. He did not come back. She still hated to think of what Aerys had done.

Everything seemed to spin out of control after that. Torrhen was now lord of Winterfell and warden of the North. He wanted revenge for his father and to rescue his sister. Robert's head was demanded by Aerys, whom his foster father, Lord Arryn, would not give up. They both rallied their banners, and were joined by the North's bannermen, as well as the Riverlands, after Torrhen married Catelyn Tully. Everything after that was a blur to Rhaella, who kept Alys close at all times.

The war ended in 284. Aerys was betrayed by his own kingsguard. Maegor was slayn by Robert. Robert became king by right of conquest, with Jon Arryn as his hand. Catelyn and her son, Karlon, arrived in the North.

Rhaenys was found in the Neck with a baby boy on her back. Maegor had stowed her away in Dorne, taken her after she fought away all of her energy, and escaped after he departed to take part in the war. The baby was born in the Riverlands on her way back. He was named Edric, and she wanted him to have the Stark name, which Torrhen granted. She refused to marry Robert.

Tywin, who had been instrumental in taking Kings Landing, swooped in at that point. He remarried his cousin, Joanna, and married the seething Robert to his daughter with a Westerling, Jeyne Lannister.

That was years ago. Robert had children, Joanna and Tywin had a child, Torrhen and his snobby wife had more children. Alys had married a Karstark and now lived with their family. Rhaenys remained unmarried and raised her son at Winterfell, always at odds with Catelyn, who looked down on Edric as a Targaryen bastard. Rhaella wished Torrhen would send her back to the Riverlands.

Otherwise, though, life was pleasant enough. Rhaella adored her children and grandchildren, and regularly wrote to Alys and her children. It was cold in Winterfell, even in the summer, and it was tiring to hear of southern court life and listen to her snobbish gooddaughter sneer at Edric, yet Rhaella was content. Although her life had not been easy, particularly during the war, it had gone so much better than it could have with Aerys. She was grateful for that.


End file.
